Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder calls for right-to-work legislation

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder called on the Legislature Thursday to pass a right-to-work law before the end of the year.

Snyder appeared with the leaders of the Michigan House and Senate in an 11 a.m. media roundtable to call for passage of the “Workplace Equity and Fairness Act.”

“When it arrives on my desk, I will sign it,” Snyder said.

After labeling right-to-work a divisive issue for the past two years, Snyder said it’s time to address the issue because others have moved it to the top of the agenda whether he wanted it there or not.

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Snyder also said it’s an issue that affects less than 20 percent of Michigan workers — the number represented by unions.

“It’s not relevant to most,” he said.

But he avoided the phrase “right-to-work,” instead calling it an issue of “workplace fairness and equity.”

Snyder also stressed that he supports the rights of people to collectively bargain, but that workers should have the right to choose who they want to associate with.

In saying that, Snyder echoed right-to-work supporters who have referred to it as “worker freedom” and “freedom to work.”

Right-to-work means employees can’t be required to join unions or pay dues as a condition of employment.

Snyder said police and fire will be the exceptions to Michigan’s right-to-work proposal, which will cover both public and private workers.

Opponents say workers in states with right-to-work laws, both union and non-union, make an average of $1,500 a year less than in collective bargaining states.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2011 concluded the median wages in right-to-work states were $1.58 an hour lower than in collective bargaining states, and that fewer employers are offered pensions and health insurance.

But the same set of statistics concluded the average unemployment rate was more than a half-percent lower in right-to-work states versus collective bargaining states.

Even though less than 20 percent of Michigan workers are unionized, Michigan has the fifth highest number of unionized workers in the country, according to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a conservative think tank and supporter of right-to-work.

“Right-to-work does not affect collective bargaining in any way except to take away unions’ ability to fire workers for not paying them,” said Mackinac Center Labor Policy Director F. Vincent Vernuccio.

“It makes unions accountable to their members,” he said. “Unions will no longer be able to bolster their political power by taking money from people who don’t support their agenda.”

But U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, a Bloomfield Township Democrat, said Snyder’s sudden backing of right-to-work legislation in Michigan is “ushering in an era of divisiveness across Michigan by launching an attack against working families.”

“By trying to jam this through a lame duck session, Gov. Snyder is trying to prevent voters from seeing how he is dividing Michigan instead of working to ensure the future of our state during this fragile recovery,” Peters said. “Just like (Wisconsin Gov.) Scott Walker, Gov. Snyder’s flip flop is clearly a calculated decision to put his own political ambitions ahead of the families he’s supposed to be working for.

“I stand in solidarity with Michigan’s working families, and we will never stop fighting against this unprecedented and reckless action by Gov. Snyder,” Peters concluded.

Right-to-work is a particularly touchy subject in Michigan, birthplace to the United Auto Workers union.

The opposition immediately scheduled a Thursday afternoon rally in front of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce in Lansing to fight against the legislation. The chamber called for right-to work legislation Monday.

“A strong, vibrant middle class was once the backbone of our state and allowed generations of Michigan families to send their kids to college, save for retirement and buy a home — including mine,” said Gerald Lang from Lake Orion in a statement issued through the AFL-CIO.

“Now, Republican legislators, backed by their corporate CEO funders and the Chamber of Commerce, are attacking working Michiganders with dangerous laws that would destroy the middle class and divide us all,” Lang said. “We will not stand for it.”

People were also quick to react to the governor’s announcement via social media.

“Seriously — many years ago big business had an opportunity to treat workers fairly and profits went into pockets and lives became expendable — there is a reason the unions came into existence,” wrote Brandy Woodall Ritter from Macomb on Facebook. “Take away that protection and standards are lowered to the least amount possible.”

Wrote Christine Page from Detroit: “There will be tragic consequences to this law... check other RTW states. When your cable goes out, and they send an illegal to fix it because he’ll work for 2¢ an hour, and your house burns down because something shorted out, TOUGH. Or let’s say you need the police, and some city thought it would be GREAT to have people with no education or training, because they’ll work for minimum wage just to get the supposed ‘power’ of the badge... how safe would you feel?”

But Yvonne Concepcion Whiteley urged an open mind.

“Sounds like exaggerations to me,” she wrote. “The 23 other states in the union that are RTW are not in a downward spiral of horrible hiring nightmares. They are doing quite well. The job market in Michigan is in the dumps, maybe a change is needed. Keep an open mind.”

As a practical matter, there is little real opposition to mount. Republicans control the House and Senate and can easily pass right-to-work legislation if they choose.

If approved, Michigan would become the nation’s 24th right-to-work state.